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My mother-in-law’s famous lemony artichoke soup recipe is easy to make in just 30 minutes, it’s made with simple pantry staples, and it’s so lovely and flavorful!
Here today by extremely popular demand…
…my mother-in-law’s famous lemony artichoke soup recipe! ♡
Last week, I posted on Instagram about how we had to pivot on the dinner reservation that I had made weeks ago for Barclay’s birthday, and spend the day doing some creative socially-distanced celebrating here at home instead. So for a fun surprise, I messaged my mother-in-law to ask if she would send me the recipe for her famous lemony artichoke soup that Barclay has absolutely adored since childhood. And you guys, I just wish you all could have seen the moment of sheer delight on Barclay’s face when I set his bowl down in front of him. It was the cutest moment — he was thrilled! Nothing beat’s mom’s soup!
My Instagram inbox also instantly lit up with dozens (and dozens and dozens!) of messages from you all after I shared a quick pic of the soup, asking if we could pretty please share the recipe. It seems like all of us could use a good bowl of this soup right now. ♡♡♡ So with big thanks to my mother-in-law, Jen, for graciously giving me the green light to share her family recipe with the world — I’m here to share her lemony artichoke soup recipe today!
The good news for all of us is that this artichoke soup is incredibly quick and easy to make in less than 30 minutes. And as a bonus — especially helpful right now while we’re all stuck at home — this recipe also happens to be sourced entirely from pantry and refrigerator staples. I’ve also included tips for how to make this soup gluten-free and/or vegan, if you prefer. And I highly recommend leaving all of those cute little artichoke petals intact, as Jen does, instead of blending them into the usual artichoke soup puree. It makes for the loveliest presentation and feels so special and decadent. And when served up with a big piece of crusty bread, my husband and I agree that there’s nothing better.
So gather up a few jars of artichoke hearts, and let’s make some lemony artichoke soup together!
Lemony Artichoke Soup Ingredients:
Alright, let’s chat ingredients. To make Jen’s famous lemony artichoke soup, you will need the following:
Butter: This French-inspired soup is made with a generous helping butter, which adds a delicious richness to the soup. But feel free to use vegan butter if you would like to make this recipe plant-based, or you could reduce the amount and use olive oil if you prefer too.
Onion, celery and garlic: Which we will sauté and later puree into the broth. (Jen’s original recipe actually calls for chopped green onions, but they are out of stock at our grocery store currently, so I just used a yellow onion instead.)
Flour: Which we will stir into the veggies to thicken the broth. (See below for a gluten-free alternative.)
Chicken or vegetable stock: Whichever you prefer, to use as the base for the broth.
Bay leaves and dried thyme: To season the broth.
Jarred artichoke hearts: I recommend buying just the plain jarred artichoke hearts, although the marinated ones would work too. Use a knife to trim and set aside the ends of the artichoke hearts, which we will puree into the broth. Then use your fingers to gently pull apart the petals, which we will add to the soup after the broth has been pureed.
Freshly-squeezed lemon juice: Plus some extra lemon slices for garnish, if you would like.
Salt and black pepper: For seasoning, as needed.
Toppings: Jen always garnishes each soup bowl with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a lemon slice. But you could also sprinkle on some fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, thyme, chives, etc), Parmesan cheese, croutons, or even some crumbled bacon if you’re feeling indulgent.
How To Make Artichoke Soup:
To make this lemony artichoke soup recipe, simply…
Separate the artichoke hearts. In order to have a soup full of those lovely artichoke petals, we will first need to slice off the ends of the artichoke hearts and set them aside (we will later blend them into the broth). Then use your fingers to separate the remaining artichoke petals (just fluff them up so that they are no longer stuck together) so that they are ready to use.
Sauté the veggies. Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in butter until softened. Then add the flour, which will help to thicken the broth.
Add the broth ingredients. Add the stock, bay leaves, thyme and artichoke ends (not the petals) and stir to combine. Continue cooking the soup until it reaches a simmer, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes or so.
Puree. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then — either using an immersion blender (my preference) or a traditional blender (see notes below) — carefully puree the broth until it is completely smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients. Add the artichoke petals and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Serve. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes, and enjoy!
Possible Variations:
There are all sorts of ways that you could customize this artichoke soup recipe, so feel free to get creative! For example, feel free to…
Make it gluten-free: To make gluten-free artichoke soup, simply omit the flour and use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. (Just whisk together equal parts cold water and cornstarch, then add — one tablespoon at a time — to the simmering soup until it reaches your desired level of thickness.)
Make it vegan: To make vegan artichoke soup, simply use vegan butter and vegetable stock.
Make it richer: Jen’s original recipe actually calls for 1/3 cup of butter and 1/3 cup of flour, which will make this soup even richer (and a bit thicker) if you would like.
Make it lighter: Or, if you would like to lighten things up, you can also omit the flour and just use 1 tablespoon of butter in the soup, which will still be delicious but will yield a much thinner broth.
Add potatoes or beans: If you would like to make this soup a bit more hearty, feel free to add in a can of white beans or chickpeas and/or some diced potatoes.
Add chicken: If you would like to add some extra protein to this soup, diced or shredded chicken would be a lovely addition.
Add greens: Feel free to also stir some baby spinach or kale into this soup, if you would like to add in some greens.
More Favorite Artichoke Recipes:
Looking for more artichoke recipe inspiration? (Lol, artichokes are my husband’s favorite food, so we always are!) Here are a few of my favorite artichoke recipes…
My mother-in-law’s famous lemony artichoke soup is easy to make in just 30 minutes, it’s made with simple pantry staples, and it’s so lovely and flavorful! See notes above for optional ingredient variations too.
Separate the artichoke hearts. Slice off the ends of the artichoke hearts and set them aside. Use your fingers to separate the remaining artichoke petals (just fluff them up so that they are no longer stuck together) and set aside.
Sauté the veggies. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Stir in the flour until evenly combined and sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the broth ingredients. Add the stock, bay leaves, thyme and artichoke ends (not the petals) and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Puree. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then, either using an immersion blender (my preference) or a traditional blender (see notes below), carefully puree the broth until it is completely smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients. Add the artichoke petals and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
Serve. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes.
Traditional blender option: Please use caution if using a traditional blender to puree the soup. Hot liquids expand when blended, so it’s very important not to overfill the blender. I recommend blending the soup in 2-3 batches, and always be sure to tent open the lid on the cap of your blender (I loosely cover mine with a towel, in case any hot liquid splatter) so that the hot air can be released.
Gluten-free option: Omit the flour and use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. (Just whisk together equal parts cold water and cornstarch, then add — one tablespoon at a time — to the simmering soup until it reaches your desired level of thickness.)
Vegan option: Just use vegan butter and vegetable stock.
Topping ideas: Jen always garnishes each soup bowl with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a lemon slice. But you could also sprinkle on some fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, thyme, chives, etc), Parmesan cheese, croutons, or even some crumbled bacon if you’re feeling indulgent.
Been combing through Instagram and Youtube posts for any news on how you and Barclay and fur babies are doing! You have been on my heart and in prayers.
Ali, artichokes packed in water or oil? Does it matter? My gut says probably packed in water.
Looking forward to making this one!
Djamila —
I made this with artichoke packed in oil and it was definitely intense. I would even it out with more water in the future or maybe replace 1 cup of broth with water instead. Overall, though, it was still delicious.
This is my new go to quarantine treat! I love artichokes–made it just for myself today. It is absolutely delicious! Slightly labor intense pureeing in my food processor. Don’t have a regular blender and gave my immersion one to my daughter. Also pleased to read your “life” update.
Absolutely delicious. I made this tonight- the artichoke flavor came thru with the blending of the hearts, and the fronds added a great texture. I used the 1/3 butter & 1/3 flour variation cause I like thicker soups, and it was just fantastic. Can’t stop eating it! And I’ve already sent it to my mom for her to try, too!
Made this a few weeks ago and added some sautéd Jimmy Dean sausage right at the end, and my non veggie loving husband had thirds. Told him I was making this again for dinner tonight and his response was “Oh F**K yes!!!!!!” hahaha definitely added to our dinner rotation.
Man, I realllly wanted to love this soup. For me, it was just way too sour. I added half of cup of canellini beans to try and cut some of the acidity. Extra pepper. Extra smoked paprika. A little extra chicken stock. I don’t know what else would fix it. Maybe not possible because of the amount of artichoke :( Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Kaye Elle —
Edit to add, my tastebuds may also be a little off because I’ve been sick. My daughter said it was good so I will try it again.
This was very good and so easy to make! I used one jar of marinated artichokes and two bags of frozen artichokes, both from Trader Joe’s. I missed the note about cornstarch and used gluten-free all purpose flour, which worked just fine. Loved the flavor that the lemon imparts – I will add this recipe to my rotation. Thanks for another great recipe!
I’ve owed you a comment about this soup recipe for some time now. My husband and I love artichokes so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe after you first posted it. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s definitely a keeper. I use a bag of frozen artichokes from Trader Joe’s and since we really like the lemony flavor, I double the amount called for, but that’s my only change. Hubby even requested it as part of his birthday dinner earlier this month. Thank you for sharing!
Whatttttttt OMG this was so good. I wanted to make it mostly because the picture was so great — I am not an artichoke fan normally but it’s just an amazing combo of flavors. I added chickpeas and kale to make it a little heartier and they complement the whole thing really well. Great recipe!!
I am making this for dinner in a couple days. We are finally getting some cooler weather here in Louisiana, so I decided we needed some soup. I will let you know how it turns out, but I am sure it will be amazing!
OMY. (OH. MY. YES) This was absolutely outstanding. Loved how it has a creamy texture, but no cream. LOVED the lemon/artichoke flavors that really stood out, but that the soup had depth. We opted for fresh grated parm and a little dash of smoked paprika on top and we were NOT disappointed. Served with a side of toasty fresh whole wheat bastone. Thanks so much for this recipe!! We’ll be doing it again and again. <3
Tasty and I would suggest if you don’t feel good, this would be a good soup for you. The ingredients are just what you need to comfort you. However, I made it and next time will add some egg noodles or pasta of some sort. The idea of bacon is also good. If you make this soup, have a salad and baked chicken or cheese toast, cornbread, something you personally like. This is a good base to try other ingredients with it or to enhance an entre’. I used 2 fresh artichokes and 2 cans of artichoke hearts in water. I used the artichoke broth, 3 cups, along with chicken broth, boxed, to have the 6 cups of broth per the recipe. I make soup often. This one was good, try it.
Soup has always been my all-time favorite comfort food. Words cannot fully describe how much I love this soup. I used the 1/3 butter & 1/3 flour variation and was very impressed with how rich and creamy the soup was without any cream! I used the jars of artichokes in brine (not marinated) and it worked very well. I also decided to use my juicer to juice a whole lemon (rind and all) to get the fresh lemon juice for a single recipe since I couldn’t find my citrus juicer. This soup is so flavorful but because of its simple ingredients, it is also a bit of a blank slate since their are so many possibilities of ingredients to add (sausage, diced chicken, roasted red peppers, roasted sweet potato, and the list goes on and on). It is definitely a soup I plan on making again, and again, and again, and again!!! I would like to know if this soup is freezer friendly? I would love to be able to make a huge batch of it and then portion it out and freeze it so that I would always have a couple of pints of it available and ready to eat (or give away). Thank you, thank you, thank you for this soup!
Far too much lemon juice recommended. It overwhelmed the flavor so it tasted more like lemon orzo Greek soup. Artichokes have a more subtle flavor. 2 tablespoons is more than enough.
Hi Ali,
I had a couple bottles of marinated artichokes that I was looking for something to do with. I found your lemony recipe and made it this evening for dinner. Truly Awesome. I added ore garlic, some dill, parsley, green, onion, and tarragon. Anything I make with chicken broth I have to add taragon, just love it. The lemon added an interesting taste. The soup was delicious and I have more for another couple dinners. I ate my soup with seeded sourdough bread that I toasted. I’m an 84 year gent and I was pleased in putting it together. Thanks for an easy great recipe of soup. 5 Stars! Larry
I’ve been searching for an artichoke soup recipe and yours is perfect, thank you. I have made this twice, once with butter and once with olive oil…I love this soup! Artichokes are good for your liver so I am going to make this my New Year’s Day tradition!
Cheers
I have three cans of artichoke hearts that I’ve never know what to do with…will those work here too? Thanks Ali!
Totally! Cans, jars…however they are packaged, they will work! :)
Yes! I’ve been looking forward to this one!
This looks amazing! I am planning on making it this week.
Been combing through Instagram and Youtube posts for any news on how you and Barclay and fur babies are doing! You have been on my heart and in prayers.
Could I used jars of Brussel Sprouts (all I have) in place of artichoke hearts? Is it worth a try? Thank You, Bonita
Could you use frozen artichoke hearts here instead?
Definitely! :)
I’m assuming you remove the bay leaves before blending? Currently making it and I think I will do that in case. Thank you for another great recipe!
Ali, artichokes packed in water or oil? Does it matter? My gut says probably packed in water.
Looking forward to making this one!
I made this with artichoke packed in oil and it was definitely intense. I would even it out with more water in the future or maybe replace 1 cup of broth with water instead. Overall, though, it was still delicious.
Really good!
I used frozen…
Always looking for artichoke recipes, Thanks!
Our entire family loved this soup! We served it with garlic French bread and it was amazing.
This is my new go to quarantine treat! I love artichokes–made it just for myself today. It is absolutely delicious! Slightly labor intense pureeing in my food processor. Don’t have a regular blender and gave my immersion one to my daughter. Also pleased to read your “life” update.
I’m not a huge fan of dried thyme. What other spice might go well here?
Rosemary or fresh basil would also be lovely!
Wow this was good! I loved the lemon and the artichoke, was DELICIOUS with a slice of warm sourdough to dunk! Thanks for another winner :)
Just wonderful!
Hey! Have you tried making this with a crock pot? I’m wondering how that would work!
Absolutely delicious. I made this tonight- the artichoke flavor came thru with the blending of the hearts, and the fronds added a great texture. I used the 1/3 butter & 1/3 flour variation cause I like thicker soups, and it was just fantastic. Can’t stop eating it! And I’ve already sent it to my mom for her to try, too!
Made this a few weeks ago and added some sautéd Jimmy Dean sausage right at the end, and my non veggie loving husband had thirds. Told him I was making this again for dinner tonight and his response was “Oh F**K yes!!!!!!” hahaha definitely added to our dinner rotation.
This is SO good!! Nice and creamy without the cream. Definitely a keeper recipe! 5 year old approved as well!
Man, I realllly wanted to love this soup. For me, it was just way too sour. I added half of cup of canellini beans to try and cut some of the acidity. Extra pepper. Extra smoked paprika. A little extra chicken stock. I don’t know what else would fix it. Maybe not possible because of the amount of artichoke :( Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Edit to add, my tastebuds may also be a little off because I’ve been sick. My daughter said it was good so I will try it again.
This was very good and so easy to make! I used one jar of marinated artichokes and two bags of frozen artichokes, both from Trader Joe’s. I missed the note about cornstarch and used gluten-free all purpose flour, which worked just fine. Loved the flavor that the lemon imparts – I will add this recipe to my rotation. Thanks for another great recipe!
I’ve owed you a comment about this soup recipe for some time now. My husband and I love artichokes so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe after you first posted it. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s definitely a keeper. I use a bag of frozen artichokes from Trader Joe’s and since we really like the lemony flavor, I double the amount called for, but that’s my only change. Hubby even requested it as part of his birthday dinner earlier this month. Thank you for sharing!
Had it for dinner one night, then was inspired to try it with a poached egg for breakfast. I like it even better that way :)
Whatttttttt OMG this was so good. I wanted to make it mostly because the picture was so great — I am not an artichoke fan normally but it’s just an amazing combo of flavors. I added chickpeas and kale to make it a little heartier and they complement the whole thing really well. Great recipe!!
Delicious!! Worth the prep time. I also added chicken, spinach, rice and a little mozzarella! I would make this again! :)
I am addicted to this soup! Healthy and delicious! And I’m addicted to @Gimmesomeoven! NEVER a failed recipe.
p.s. The butter in this soup is inconsequential when divided between portions.
Delicious and easy.
Are you supposed to remove the bay leaves before blending?
Ooh yes, thank you for catching that. They do need to be removed — I just edited that in the recipe. :)
I am making this for dinner in a couple days. We are finally getting some cooler weather here in Louisiana, so I decided we needed some soup. I will let you know how it turns out, but I am sure it will be amazing!
OMY. (OH. MY. YES) This was absolutely outstanding. Loved how it has a creamy texture, but no cream. LOVED the lemon/artichoke flavors that really stood out, but that the soup had depth. We opted for fresh grated parm and a little dash of smoked paprika on top and we were NOT disappointed. Served with a side of toasty fresh whole wheat bastone. Thanks so much for this recipe!! We’ll be doing it again and again. <3
Tasty and I would suggest if you don’t feel good, this would be a good soup for you. The ingredients are just what you need to comfort you. However, I made it and next time will add some egg noodles or pasta of some sort. The idea of bacon is also good. If you make this soup, have a salad and baked chicken or cheese toast, cornbread, something you personally like. This is a good base to try other ingredients with it or to enhance an entre’. I used 2 fresh artichokes and 2 cans of artichoke hearts in water. I used the artichoke broth, 3 cups, along with chicken broth, boxed, to have the 6 cups of broth per the recipe. I make soup often. This one was good, try it.
Soup has always been my all-time favorite comfort food. Words cannot fully describe how much I love this soup. I used the 1/3 butter & 1/3 flour variation and was very impressed with how rich and creamy the soup was without any cream! I used the jars of artichokes in brine (not marinated) and it worked very well. I also decided to use my juicer to juice a whole lemon (rind and all) to get the fresh lemon juice for a single recipe since I couldn’t find my citrus juicer. This soup is so flavorful but because of its simple ingredients, it is also a bit of a blank slate since their are so many possibilities of ingredients to add (sausage, diced chicken, roasted red peppers, roasted sweet potato, and the list goes on and on). It is definitely a soup I plan on making again, and again, and again, and again!!! I would like to know if this soup is freezer friendly? I would love to be able to make a huge batch of it and then portion it out and freeze it so that I would always have a couple of pints of it available and ready to eat (or give away). Thank you, thank you, thank you for this soup!
Far too much lemon juice recommended. It overwhelmed the flavor so it tasted more like lemon orzo Greek soup. Artichokes have a more subtle flavor. 2 tablespoons is more than enough.
Love ❤️ this soup!!
I added shrimp at the end and topped it with parmigiano reggiano it’s so delicious!!!!
Hi Ali,
I had a couple bottles of marinated artichokes that I was looking for something to do with. I found your lemony recipe and made it this evening for dinner. Truly Awesome. I added ore garlic, some dill, parsley, green, onion, and tarragon. Anything I make with chicken broth I have to add taragon, just love it. The lemon added an interesting taste. The soup was delicious and I have more for another couple dinners. I ate my soup with seeded sourdough bread that I toasted. I’m an 84 year gent and I was pleased in putting it together. Thanks for an easy great recipe of soup. 5 Stars! Larry
Really great recipe! Love a lemony soup 🥰 I added chickpeas at the end for some more texture.
I’ve been searching for an artichoke soup recipe and yours is perfect, thank you. I have made this twice, once with butter and once with olive oil…I love this soup! Artichokes are good for your liver so I am going to make this my New Year’s Day tradition!
Cheers
Do you used ground thyme or dried thyme?